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Benton County Republicans is a non-profit organization based in Benton County, Minnesota. Our goal is to educate the people of Benton County and the State of Minnesota on conservative principles and to advocate the Republican Party's philosophy and initiatives while empowering men and women of all ages, ethnicity and backgrounds in the political process. Join us as we share ideas, form friendships and help good, conservative candidates get elected through volunteer work and political activism.

Dear Friend,As you know, last week was the President’s annual State of the Union address. What we heard that night was what we’ve come to expect from President Obama every year—lofty speeches filled with political promises that have little reality of ever coming true. The President and I do agree—America faces grave challenges in 2014 and beyond. However, what he sees as an excuse for growing the national debt and further government involvement in Americans’ lives, I believe is merely a symptom of the larger problem of too much big government power and overreach. For more on my response to the annual address, click here.Each Member of Congress is able to bring a guest to the speech. This year I had the honor of bringing Dr. Julie Anderson, a family physician from St. Cloud. Dr. Anderson wrote into my office last month outlining her concerns about the impact of the President’s health care law on her private practice. And we had a great visit talking about how government intrusion in healthcare is damaging the doctor-patient relationship.Defense Against Cyber AttacksEarlier this week I had the opportunity to question intelligence community officials on the security of the Obamacare website from foreign attacks during a hearing on Worldwide Threats before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

According to news accounts, U.S. intelligence agencies warned in a report to the Department of Health and Human Services of a possible cybersecurity attack by Belarus via malware on the Obamacare website. When pressed on this during the hearing, the heads of these agencies all denied knowing about the report and its subsequent withdrawal.

This means that millions of Americans who put their personal information on the Obamacare website believing that it would be secure could be vulnerable to a cyber-attack. That’s why I’ve called for the Obamacare website to be taken down until the proper tests have been done to guarantee that Americans’ personal data are not at risk.Coffee with your CongresswomanYou're invited to join me for coffee at three upcoming meetings:St. Cloud, MN | Thursday, February 13, 201411:30AM - 12:15PMCulver's, 901 Highway 10 S, St. Cloud, MN 56304